1965 Chevy C10 - A C10 Like Back Then

A lot of custom truck enthusiasts got their first taste of the hobby in high school, driving some cheap, beater pickup. When they weren't behind the wheel, they were under the hood or underneath the truck, trying to make it run better—or run period. They may not have been building trophy winners, but they were learning and they were having fun. Ron Malinowski in Magnolia, Texas, was one of those high school kids. Thirty years ago, his ride was a '66 Chevy pickup. He says that he worked on it a lot, and occasionally blew things up.

Like a lot of his fellow enthusiasts, Ron got rid of his first truck decades ago, but never really forgot about it. About seven or eight years ago, he started looking around for a '65 or '66 Chevy big-window to bring back the kind of fun that he'd had with his old high school ride. He found something to start with on eBay—a '65 C10 in "not bad" shape, with a 283 engine, stock interior, and bed wood better suited for a campfire. All of those descriptions, and a few more, would change.

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Ron had a few descriptions for how he wanted to rebuild the '65. He wanted to keep it looking fairly stock, but modern and driveable. Driveability starts with a solid foundation, so Ron modified the stock frame with C-notches and a lowered rear crossmember to drop the truck. Classic Performance Products (CPP) 2-inch drop spindles plus front and rear airbags from RideTech lower it further. Front antisway bars and control arms and rear trailing arms also came from CPP, along with the front brakes (the power boosted discs are offered as part of a package including the dropped spindles). Rear drum brakes are from a '65 3/4-ton. The 12-bolt rear is stock and houses 3.73:1 gears. The truck's stock outer appearance was modernized by a set of C-5 five-spokes from Coys Wheels. Ron chose the rims from the extra-large shelf, going with 22s and 20s. The tires are Nitto 420S radials, 285/40R22s in the back and 255/45R20s in front.

The C10 body looks bone stock, and a mountain of careful bodywork went into getting it to that condition. Walter Da Cruz at A-1 Auto Restoration in Houston spent a lot of time repairing rust, perfecting gaps, welding seams, shaving driprails, and filling stake pockets. Front fenders were replaced and the rear wheelwells were cut out and tubbed to fit the 285-series tires. New stock bumpers, headlights, and LED taillights were provided by LMC. The bed was revived with white oak from Mar-K. Ron's father, also named Ron, helped with the color choices. The combination features House Of Kolor Blue Blood Red and PPG Adobe Beige, and was shot by Walter Da Cruz.

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The HOK red continues inside the cab, contrasted by the curry-colored upholstery. Kyle Hicks in Norman, Oklahoma, covered the Glide Engineering bench and custom door panels with leather-like vinyl. A fabricated center console holds the Arc Audio equalizer, controlled via iPhone, with JL Audio amps and speakers—installed by Ron and his wife, Leigh. Classic Instruments gauges in an engine turned panel were mounted in the smoothed dash, with a lower panel added for vents for the Vintage Air Gen II system. A Billet Specialties wheel on a Flaming River shifter column takes care of steering.

Ron replaced the 283 engine with a 383 bought from a friend. The bored and stroked small-block is loaded with a Crane roller cam, and dressed up with a billet drive system, aluminum valve covers, and a chrome air cleaner. That clean air feeds a 650 Holley carb and Weiand Team G manifold. The exhaust system includes Summit Racing headers and Flowmaster mufflers. Overdrive was attained by switching the TH350 trans for a 700-R4, built by Sidney Martin from Tomball, Texas.

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Completing the buildup was a four-year job, with much of the work accomplished in Ron's home shop. If Ron had made a checklist of all of his goals for the '65, he'd be able to check off the entire list. Stock appearance—check. Modern performance—check. Driveability—check. The biggest checkmark would be saved for the best goal: bringing back the kind of fun that he'd had with his old high school ride. You'll find Ron and his sweet C10 bringing it back at numerous local parking lot shows, in Fort Worth when Goodguys brings the Lone Star Nats to the Texas Motor Speedway in March and October, and at Nifty Fifties cruises in the Houston area every Saturday.